JAMES BUSBY'S FAMILY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21716, 3 February 1934, Page 13

JAMES BUSBY'S FAMILY

SEVERAL REPRESENTATIVES UNFURLING RESIDENCY FLAG MANUSCRIPTS FROM SYDNEY [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTEP,] WAITANGI, Friday The family of James Busby will probably be well represented at the unfurling of the flag at the Residency on Tuesday. Mr. K. S. Williams, M.P., who is a member of the Waitangi National Trust, representing the family of Archdeacon Henry Williams, is also related to the Busby fa'mily. Messrs. James and John Busby, of Tokomaru Bay, who, though not brothers, are both great-grandsons of the former British Resident, are expected to be present , Miss Dora Busby, of Sydney, a great-grand-niece, arrived from Australia this week to attend the ceremony and js now at Paihia. Miss Busby is preparing tho history of the family for circulation in book form among its members, whose number in Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere now runs into hundreds. She has brought with her a manuscript diary kept by James Busby's brother, Alexander, during a visit to New Zealand in tho 'thirties, together with account books and documents in James Busby's handwriting, and a photograph of sketches by him of scenes in the Bay of Islands, and further photographs of greenstone ornaments and other articles given to Alexander and other brothers by the Maori chiefs. Her object is to ascertain, if possible, as a matter of family interest, the names and tribes of the givers. Most of the articles, which include very tine ear pendants, are on deposit in tb« Australian Museum. It is highly appropriate that the Hon. R. W. D. Weaver should represent the New South Wales Government at the celebrations, because the Department of Public Works, of which he is Minister, discovered the original plan of the Residency in the Government archives in Svdnev earlv last year with the aid of the Mitchell Library, after receiving a request from the New Zealand Government that the search be made. The plans were of great help to tho honorary architects, Mr. W. M. Page and Mr. W. H. Gummer, and the builder, Mr. R. W. McComb, in carrying out tho restoration of the house.

THE NATIONAL TRUST MEETING ON TUESDAY MAORI KING'S MEIVfBERSHIP [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] | WAITANGI, Friday Since the Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe, and practically all the members of the Waitangi National Trust will be present at the celebrations next week, the opportunity will be taken to hold a meeting at Ti Point on Tuesday afternoon after the ceremonies at the Residency. One item of business will be the confirmation of the election of the young Maori King, Koroki Mahuta, to the trust to fill the vacancy created by the death of his father. He was appointed to the board as representative of the Maori people living in the North Island south of Auckland City. FATAL FALL FROM TRAIN MEMBER OF NGATI-POROU NATIVES DEMONSTRATE GRIEF [by TELEGRArH —SPECIAL REPORTER] | WAITANGI, Friday A member of the Ngati-Porou tribe of Maoris from the East Coast, which travelled from Auckland to the Nortfc last night to attend the celebrations at Waitangi, was killed when he fell from a carriage just south of Kaukapakapa. He was Tuta Te Kuri, aged about 50, of Tikitiki, East Coast, and he was found lying dead by the railway line by a surfaceman at 7.40 a.m. to-daj T . His head was badly injured. Even the man's wife was .not aware he was missing from the train until Opua was reached, when his absence was noticed. On arrival at Waitangi. the widow, accompanied by three women relatives, left by car for Helensville, to attend the inquest, which was held this evening. News of the tragedv had been sent by tho railway officials at Kaukapakapa. The acting-coroner, Mr. J. A. Wilson, J.P., returned a verdict that deceased was accidentally killed as a result of falling from a train. The body was taken by the widow and relatives to Auckland to be embalmed and will remain there until the tribal delegation returns from Waitangi. Then it will be taken to Tikitiki for burial. The tragedy caused great grief among the Maoris of the Ngati-Porou tribe and the departure of the widow in the car from Waitangi was marked bv a demonstration of grief by the other natives.